Direct and Indirect cold water supply systems are methods employed when connecting the water supply in a house.
For water to reach the consumers within a building, the tank has to connect with pipes to supply water to every part of the building.
Water from the main will be taken to the basin, toilet taps, drinking water taps and so forth by the pipes that will be fitted from the main.
Direct and indirect cold water supply systems are mainly used in buildings.
In this article, I will share the advantages and disadvantages of these two systems of cold water supply within a building.
Direct cold water supply system.
In a direct cold water supply system, cold water is fed directly from the mains to the consumers.
Cold water from the mains is supplied to taps, basins and any point of use directly from the mains.
This kind of cold water supply system has its advantages and disadvantages.
Without wasting time, let me share with you what you need to know about this system of cold water supply.
Advantages of direct cold water supply system;
1. Less pipework is needed.
With a direct cold water supply system, one won’t need more pipework because of the direct path of pipelines that are used in this system.
The pipes will be connected from the mains and directly to the point of supply, be it on the taps, showers, basins, toilets etc.
The direct cold water supply system provides simple pipeline work that won’t bring any confusion when it comes to repairing or maintaining it.
Apart from reducing the pipework needed, it also reduces the cost required to purchase more pipes.
2. Drinking water is available at all taps.
This is another advantage of using a direct cold water supply system. Drinking water is available at all taps within the building.
You have to remember that water from the main is directly supplied to the taps.
Since the water from the mains is already treated and ready for use, one doesn’t have to worry about contracting diseases when he or she drinks the water from the taps.
This makes the direct cold water supply system so preferable in a building with kids.
Drinking water directly from the taps won’t affect these kids’ health at all.
3. Cheap installation.
Direct cold water supply system doesn’t have complex pipework and that is one of the things that makes it cheaper when it comes to installation.
Also, the other factor that I would like to talk about that makes this system cheaper when it comes to installation is that small storage is required.
One won’t have to worry about buying a big expensive tank to use when this system of cold water supply is put into use.
The pipework needed in a direct cold water supply system will occupy less space when it’s installed, this will also aid in the reduction of cost on the installation.
4. Saves energy.
In a direct cold water supply system, you don’t need pumps to pump water to the point of consumption.
Cold water that is pumped from the main is directly fed to the taps and every area of consumption.
This eliminates the energy that would have been lost by using pumps to pump the water to the points of consumption.
We all know that pumps use energy to function which can end up increasing the power bills.
If you are thinking of saving energy then you should consider putting this system of cold water supply into use.
5. Water contamination is minimized.
Water contamination is minimized when using a direct cold water supply system because water is fed to the tap directly from the mains.
Assuming that there are no leakages that allow infiltration of dirty particles into the water pipes, then contamination is least expected.
Major contamination will only happen if the cold water from the main is tempered.
This also ensures that the water quality is maintained throughout the water pipes.
Disadvantages of direct cold water supply system;
1. Pipe leaks are likely to be experienced.
Pipe leaks are one of the disadvantages of using a direct cold water supply system.
In a direct cold water supply system, water is taken directly from the mains and fed to the taps.
This means that the water supplied by this system will be under high pressure, which can end up causing leakages.
These leakages are likely to be experienced at the joints, valves and tap areas.
So, this is one of the limitations one should expect when putting a direct cold water supply system into use.
2. Fixing the pipeline will be an issue.
Fixing the water pipelines is going to be a problem when a direct cold water supply system is put into use.
You have to understand that the water supply is directly from the mains thus making it harder to repair any pipeline unless the mains is closed.
Which will bring inconveniences to the consumers.
If one tries to fix the water pipes without closing the supply from the mains then much water is going to be wasted until the repair is done.
3. Water shortages are likely to be experienced.
A direct cold water supply system can’t provide water 24/7 since water is usually set to be supplied in a specific period.
This means that at other times water shortages are likely going to be experienced when the system is put into use.
The time measures that are set to supply water to consumers are meant to reduce water wastage.
If the direct cold water supply system supplies water nonstop then water is not going to be available.
Water from the source has to be treated and settled before it’s pumped to the consumers, so a continuous supply of cold water won’t be possible.
4. Indirect cold water supply system.
An indirect cold water supply system is a system that feeds water to the sanitary fittings from the tanks.
This means that water from the mains is first pumped into tanks to be stored before it’s supplied to consumption points.
Water is stored in big tanks that can sustain the demand of the consumers for a certain period.
An indirect cold water supply system is highly preferred because it stores thus preventing any water shortages.
Without wasting time, let me share the advantages and disadvantages of using this system of cold water supply.
Advantages of indirect cold water supply system;
1. Large storage capacity.
An indirect cold water supply system offers a large storage capacity which is very important during failures from the main supply.
This is the main reason why so many modern houses use this type of system of cold water supply compared to the direct one.
Water from the mains is first pumped into big tanks and stored before it’s supplied to the sanitary fittings except in the kitchen and sinks.
2. Pressure is reduced.
Since the cold water is first pumped into the tanks and stored before it’s fed into sanitary fittings this reduces pressure in the pipelines.
If the pressure is reduced in the water pipes, this means leakages are least to be expected in an indirect cold water supply system.
The other benefit of pressure reduction is that noises from the taps are reduced, and so is the wear on the taps.
This ensures that the water pipes and taps remain in a good state for a long time.
Disadvantages of indirect cold water supply system;
1. Higher cost of installation.
The installation cost of an indirect cold water supply system is going to be quite higher considering the tank that is needed.
The tank needed is going to increase the installation cost because extra manpower will be needed.
Also, one will have to buy the tank(s) which are needed to be installed. That is going to be another cost that one will have to take care of.
Since the pipelines needed for this system are going to be complex, many fittings and valves are going to be needed in the indirect cold water supply system.
All these fittings and valves will need cash to be purchased and this will keep on increasing the cost of installation of this system of cold water supply.
2. More pipework is needed.
More pipework will be needed because the water is not fed directly from the main.
Water pipes will have to be connected from the tanks to the sanitary fittings.
This means more pipes will be needed hence the system will end up occupying a very big space.
The indirect cold water supply system is likely going to be bulky and this can be a problem if it’s not appropriately supported.
3. Stagnation and contamination of water.
Since a large quantity of water is stored in tanks, and the water doesn’t flow under high pressure, stagnation is something that is likely to be experienced.
Water will settle the fittings of the pipes and this will end up reducing the quality of water fed to the taps.
If this happens, it won’t be possible for people to drink water from the taps.
Also, since a large quantity of water is stored in the tanks, in an open atmosphere, there is a chance this water is going to be contaminated.
4. Contamination of clean water.
Back siphonage is likely to occur in indirect cold water supply systems because of the frequent water stoppage.
Also, the fittings and breaks that are present in the pipeline will cause back siphonage.
This may cause water contamination because the contaminated water is going to be drawn back into the clean water supply when the water is moving in the pipes.
This can also happen when there is a large amount of water drawn from the system or breaks in the main line.
Final thoughts.
I hope I have provided you with the simplified information that you were searching for.
Indirect cold water supply is highly used because it provides a large storage capacity.
Though when an indirect cold water supply system is put into use, the water pipes should be drained once a while to remove the stagnant water and this will end up reducing contamination of water.
Air gas should be put into use to regulate the pressure of the water that is supplied to the consumers.
An atmospheric vacuum beaker will be needed to prevent the back-siphonage which is going to be an added cost.
Anyway, each cold water supply system has its faults. The choice of the system of the cold water system will mainly depend on the occupants of the building and the demand for water.
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions you should leave your comment. See you in my next article.
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